Women’s full marathon champion three-peats; repeat male winner proposes to girlfriend at finish line
CLEVELAND, OH – May 19, 2024 – The Cleveland Marathon announced today the results of its half and full marathon races. The results featured three-time repeat winner Ashton Swinford besting the women’s field and repeat winner Will Loevner finishing first for the men and proposing to his girlfriend at the finish line. (She said, yes!)
Loevner’s overall first-place marathon finish of 2:19:44 beat the Pittsburgh native’s previous effort by twelve seconds. After crossing the finish line he embraced his girlfriend, Emma Patterson, and got down (gingerly) on one knee to propose. Hudson, Ohio runner Ashton Swinford won her third straight Cleveland Marathon in the women’s division with a time of 2:51:16. Kari Barclay placed first in the non-binary division with a time of 3:28:08. As a Boston qualifying race, the Cleveland Marathon plays an important role in supporting non-binary individuals in their quest for Boston.
Alyssa Thomas from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio placed first in the women’s UH Druinsky Sports Medicine Institute Half Marathon with a time of 1:18:07. Nick Dehaven from Findlay, Ohio won the men’s half marathon with a time of 1:09:49. Cassie Miko from Lakewood, Ohio won the non-binary division with a time of 1:49:10.
This year, the first-place marathon finishers in the men’s and women’s division each received $2,000 through a prize money pool and elite category sponsored by the Insight Academy, a K-12 private school and behavioral clinic located in Berea, Ohio. Awards were also given for the half marathon, those competing in the Masters category, and the marathon’s top male and female Ohioans.
“We were so happy to welcome runners from across Northeast Ohio, and the world, right here to downtown Cleveland to experience this one-of-a-kind race,” said Race Director Ralph Staph. “This town, and the people who live here, once again put on an incredible show. I’ve always said you can fall in love when you run this town, and now we’ve even got a marriage proposal to prove it. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the shores of Lake Erie next year.”
This was the 47th running of the Cleveland Marathon. Over 10,000 runners from 46 states and nine countries participated in race weekend, which featured a Kids Run, 5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon. For a full listing of results, visit: https://www.clevelandmarathon.com/runners/2024-results-photos.aspx
About the Cleveland Marathon
One of the 50 oldest races in the country, the Cleveland Marathon features the following opportunities: Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Challenge Series. Online registration and additional information are available at clevelandmarathon.com. There are opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise funds through their participation in the race through Cleveland Marathon Charities. Find out more at clevelandmarathon.com
Photo credit: Cleveland Marathon
